Major Barbara

Considered one of George Bernard Shaw's most thought-provoking and witty plays, Major Barbara is a bittersweet comedy that highlights the conflict between power and poverty.

Set in 1905, the play follows Major Barbara Undershaft, a devoted Salvation Army officer, who becomes disillusioned when her Christian denomination accepts charity money from her armaments-manufacturing millionaire father.

She initially sees the Salvation Army's acceptance of her father's money as hypocrisy but eventually comes to the conclusion that people with power are more in need of salvation than converting the hungry in return for food. Shaw himself derided the notion that charities should only accept money from "morally pure" sources, pointing out that donations can always be used for good, whatever their provenance.